With shelves of artificial pineapples, mangoes and lemons set against whitewashed walls, tea joint Partea resembles a sleek and mod juice bar — until one sees huge canisters of tea leaves on the counter.

Partea is sprucing up the stodgy image of Chinese teas (imagine tea pots and cups) and pairing them with fruits, juices, beancurd and of course, the de rigueur pearls and cheese cream.

The man behind Partea is Hunan-born Alex Xiang, 40, who has been based in Singapore for the past 13 years. He says: “Bubble tea has long been filled with sugar. Those who grew up drinking bubble tea will crave for lighter and healthier alternatives [as they grow older], so there's an emphasis on featuring more varieties of fruits in our drinks.” On the menu are about 30 types of tea beverages, from fruit-infused ones to eight hour-long cold brews. The tea leaves come from both Taiwan and China, including Sijichun (four seasons) oolong from Taiwan and pu’er from China. The home-grown brand opened a second outlet in Northpoint City last November.

BOTTOM LINE: A decent option if your like your teas fruity and refreshing.